آهah منfrom لحنmelody سماheavenly (first part)
آه من لحن سما
ويّheavenly (completion) عجيبwondrous النغماتthe tones
ويّ عجيب النغمات
Ah, what a heavenly melody,
Oh, the melody of the sky
wondrous in its tones!
What strange tunes
أيهاO الساحرthe magician لمdid not تضـyou play (first part)
أيها الساحر لم تضـ
ـربplay (completion) بقوسwith a bow بلbut عصاةa wand
ـرب بقوس بل عصاة
O magician, you played not
O magician, you did not strike with a bow but with disobedience
with a bow, but with a wand.
O father of pure art
ياO أباfather of الفنart المصفىpurified
يا أبا الفن المصفى
هاتbring ألحانكyour melodies هاتbring
هات ألحانك هات
O father of pure art,
Bring your tunes, bring them
bring your melodies, bring them!
On the banks of the Nile, the cradle of
فيon شطوطshores النيلthe Nile مهدcradle الـthe
في شطوط النيل مهد الـ
ـفنart (completion) مهدcradle المعجزاتwonders
ـفن مهد المعجزات
On the Nile’s shores, the cradle of
Art, the cradle of miracles
art, the cradle of wonders.
The morning breeze, gentle gusts
الصّباSaba (a musical mode) فيin ريحbreeze لبناLebanon (first part)
الصّبا في ريح لبنا
نLebanon (completion) رقيقdelicate النفحاتthe wafts
ن رقيق النفحات
Saba in the breeze of Lebanon,
And Hejaz, a dancing beauty
delicate in its wafts;
Or life from the Euphrates bank
وحجازand Hijaz (a musical mode) راقصdancing أوor هاbring (first part)
وحجاز راقص أو ها
تbring (completion) منfrom شطshore الفراتthe Euphrates
ت من شط الفرات
and a dancing Hijaz—or bring
We are children of glories
one from the Euphrates’ shore.
We are children of conquerors
نحنwe أبناءsons المعاليnoble deeds
نحن أبناء المعالي
نحنwe أبناءsons الغزاةthe conquerors
نحن أبناء الغزاة
We are the sons of noble deeds;
Sing the tune of our eastern father and cheer the protectors
we are the sons of conquerors.
Bring the tune of the East, most deserving of laments
غنناsing to us لحنmelody أبيناour father الشـthe East (first part)
غننا لحن أبينا الشـ
ـرقEast (completion) واهتفand cheer بالحُماةfor the defenders
ـرق واهتف بالحُماة
Sing us the melody of our father, the
It is the land of glory, the land of eternity from the beginning of life
East, and hail the defenders!
Bring the tune of the East, bring it
هاتِbring لحنَmelody الشرقthe East ماhow
هاتِ لحنَ الشرق ما
أجدرهworthy it is بالعبراتof tears
أجدره بالعبرات
Bring the East’s melody—how
Bring the tune of the East, bring it
worthy it is of tears!
Many a sacred tune
هوit أرضland المجدglory أرضland الـthe
هو أرض المجد أرض الـ
ـخلدimmortality (completion) منfrom بدءbeginning الحياةlife
ـخلد من بدء الحياة
It is the land of glory, the land of
Comes from the gardens of eternity
immortality, since life began.
It fills souls
هاتbring لحنmelody الشرقthe East هاتbring
هات لحن الشرق هات
هاتِbring لحنmelody الشرقthe East هاتِbring
هاتِ لحن الشرق هاتِ
Bring the East’s melody, bring it!
In its temple crowded
Bring the East’s melody, bring it!
It gathered the world like worshippers
رُبmany a لحنmelody قدسيّsacred
رُب لحن قدسيّ
منfrom جنانgardens الخلدimmortality آتِcoming
من جنان الخلد آتِ
Many a sacred melody,
Who stood up for prayer
coming from the gardens of immortality,
It brought people together in love and diminished estrangement
جعلmade الأرواحthe souls فيin
جعل الأرواح في
هيكلهits temple مزدحماتcrowding together
هيكله مزدحمات
has made souls
crowd within its temple.
حشدَgathered العالمthe world كالعُـlike the worshippers (first part)
حشدَ العالم كالعُـ
ـبادworshippers (completion) قامواthey rose للصلاةfor prayer
ـباد قاموا للصلاة
It gathered the world like worshippers
who rose for prayer.
جمَعَgathered الناسthe people علىaround الـthe
جمَعَ الناس على الـ
ـحبlove (completion) وأدنىand brought near منfrom شتاتdispersion
ـحب وأدنى من شتات
It gathered people around
love, and drew them together from dispersion.
Partial English translation: 24 of 30 Arabic lines translated.
Sol 6.1